


The backup date

by imera



Series: Rarepairs shorts - Hermione/Pansy [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-16
Updated: 2015-04-16
Packaged: 2018-03-22 17:36:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3737611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imera/pseuds/imera
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After several unsuccessful relationships Hermione decided to concentrate on herself, unfortunately that’s when someone special always walks into your life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The backup date

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the rarepair-shorts for the prompt "Raspberries"

If there was one thing every person in a relationship dreaded, was to discover they’ve wasted a year on a relationship which was going nowhere. Unfortunately for Hermione, she’s done the same mistake more than once. She realised as her thirtieth birthday was nearing that the chance for her to find any stable relationship was most likely over, that even though she wanted kids, the chance of finding someone who wanted the same, and wanted her at the same time as well, had probably passed. She also realised that she had been the fool a decade ago when she told Ron things were going too fast, that she needed time after the war. It was the only time she was able to break the heart of a man, in all her other relationships they broke hers.

Ron eventually moved on and married someone else, and had a happy life with a wife and kids. From time to time Hermione wondered if she would ever go back to him if he did divorce her, but decided not to waste thoughts on such foolish things when the chance for something like that happening was slim, especially as he did love his wife.

Hermione was no fool, and knew that even though her exes never admitted why they didn’t want to be with her, there had to be something they didn’t like, but no matter how she tried to chance for the next guy, he ended up dumping her as well. Her last relationship was as different as they could come, she had a girlfriend. Melanie was wonderful, intelligent, and fun to be with, so when even she told Hermione that it wouldn’t work out, Hermione didn’t know what to do.

It wasn’t until after her thirtieth birthday party that Hermione decided she’d wasted enough time searching for that special someone, and that she was neglecting the one person who mattered the most, herself. Understanding that she needed to love herself before she could waste more time on others, she decided to spend every friday doing something she loved.

Every friday she would do things which her boyfriends didn’t like doing, or her girlfriend. She spent hours at bookstores, and almost equally long at yarn stores, as she’d evolved since the horrible knitting she did back at school. She went to roadshows, the opera, ballet, the circus. She went to museums and galleries. She was really enjoying herself, enjoying her life, when everything was turned upside down.

It was during one of her private dinners out at a restaurant that a person she never expected to ever speak to her decided to take seat in the vacant spot opposite of Hermione.

“Hi,” Pansy said in a sweet tone, as if she had been expected.

“What are you doing?” Hermione asked, not willing to pretend everything was just fine between them.

“I know asking a favor from you might be the stupidest thing I will ever have to do, but I really need your help.” Hermione lifted an eyebrow as she watched Pansy, not certain what to make out of her. She was dressed in a dark blue dress, her hair set up in a nice bun, and her makeup was as classy. “You see the man sitting in the red robes, on my right?” Hermione’s eyes slided over to the stranger and nodded. “That’s my ex, and he’s been stalking me for the last three years, and didn’t leave me alone until I told him I was dating someone.”

“And what does that have to do with me?”

“Please pretend to be my date, if he finds out I was his blind date he won’t accept any excuse from me.” Hermione was glad she was not drinking at that moment as she was certain she would end up choking. “Come on, I know you’re not dating anyone, I see you eating alone at this restaurant all the time.”

“That doesn’t mean I will accept anyone who needs help because they can’t handle their own relationships, I have enough problems myself.” Just then the dessert carefully floated over to her table, settling down in front of her.

“I’ll be forever in your debt.”

“I have enough of those.”

“I’ll pay you.”

 

“Like a prostitute?” Pansy’s lips tightened slightly.

“Sorry.” she apologised. “What about a date?” At that suggestion Hermione was silent, not having expected such a proposal. “Please. I know you’re not seeing someone, and I know you’ve dated a woman before.”

Hermione wanted to ask how she knew but stopped herself as she remembered the tabloids. She wasn’t able to stay out of them, but that didn’t mean she would read any.

“I’m willing to do whatever you want to, and I won’t complain.” Hermione wanted to say no, but the thought of going out on a date with someone who wouldn’t whine like a toddler because she wanted to look at some art longer than two seconds had its appeal.

“I don’t know, going out with someone who might not want to go out with me doesn’t sound appealing.”

“Neither does sitting around alone all weekend. What if we meet early one Saturday, and we split the day between the two of us. You can decide what to do during the day, and I will take you out during the evening.” That did sound better, but Hermione was still uncertain.

“What if either of us want to go on a second date?”

“I don’t see why that should be a problem if we both enjoy each other.”

“If I do this, will you promise to tell me exactly why you want to stop seeing me, either it’s after one date, or several?” Hermione decided that even if it was all pushed on her, at least she would get a straight answer out of someone about her faults.

“Agreed,” Pansy said.

“Should we seal the agreement, shake hands, or sign a contract?” 

“We could share that lovely pink dessert of yours,” Pansy suggested, her tone slightly playful. Hermione stared at her raspberry mousse, rolling her eyes slightly.

“Fine,” she said and pulled out her wand to create a second spoon, then she pushed the glass in the middle of the table and took a spoonful of the creamy dessert. Pansy took a spoonful herself and tapped her spoon against Hermione’s.

“Do you have anything planned next weekend?” Pansy asked.

“I do now,” Hermione replied, returning the slightly wicked smile Pansy gave her.


End file.
